The invention relates to a potato harvester with a lifting device having at least one digging device for lifting soil ridges containing potatoes, wherein the lifting device comprises one or several digging shares and is supported on the ground by at least one support element.
Potato harvesting machines of known configurations are usually provided with at least one lifting device for lifting the soil ridge with potatoes wherein the lifting device secured on the machine frame is supportable by at least one support element on the ground. According to DE 25 10 455 the machine frame is supported on wheels, and according to DE 32 00 924 A1 a drum that can be placed onto the soil ridge is provided in the area of the lifting device. The potato harvesting machines according to German utility model G 87 00 095.4 and DE 199 47 484 A1 have in the area of the digging share a ground-facing ridge roller or drum. In a single-row harvesting machine according to JP 07 107 828 A, the lifting device that is pivotably supported on the machine frame is provided with guide elements in the form of ridge drums attached with two guide rods, respectively, wherein their contact pressure on the ground can be increased by auxiliary weights provided above the ridge drums.
In a machine according to GB 2 095 085, in a single-row potato digger a depth sensing wheel is provided in the area of the leading edge of the lifting share. It provides depth control and, at the same time, is used for cutting off haulm. Generally, it is proposed also in the relevant literature to provide, in addition to sensing by means of ridge drums or similar components, a support wheel that is entrained without support load in the furrow for depth control of the digging share.